1
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Zhao Y, Guo L, Hu J, Ren Z, Li Y, Hu M, Zhang X, Bi L, Li D, Ma H, Liu C, Sun B. Phase-separated ParB enforces diverse DNA compaction modes and stabilizes the parS-centered partition complex. Nucleic Acids Res 2024:gkae533. [PMID: 38908027 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The tripartite ParABS system mediates chromosome segregation in the majority of bacterial species. Typically, DNA-bound ParB proteins around the parS sites condense the chromosomal DNA into a higher-order multimeric nucleoprotein complex for the ParA-driven partition. Despite extensive studies, the molecular mechanism underlying the dynamic assembly of the partition complex remains unclear. Herein, we demonstrate that Bacillus subtilis ParB (Spo0J), through the multimerization of its N-terminal domain, forms phase-separated condensates along a single DNA molecule, leading to the concurrent organization of DNA into a compact structure. Specifically, in addition to the co-condensation of ParB dimers with DNA, the engagement of well-established ParB condensates with DNA allows for the compression of adjacent DNA and the looping of distant DNA. Notably, the presence of CTP promotes the formation of condensates by a low amount of ParB at parS sites, triggering two-step DNA condensation. Remarkably, parS-centered ParB-DNA co-condensate constitutes a robust nucleoprotein architecture capable of withstanding disruptive forces of tens of piconewton. Overall, our findings unveil diverse modes of DNA compaction enabled by phase-separated ParB and offer new insights into the dynamic assembly and maintenance of the bacterial partition complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Zhao
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Lijuan Guo
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Jiaojiao Hu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zhiyun Ren
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yanan Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Meng Hu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xia Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Lulu Bi
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Dan Li
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Zhangjiang Institute for Advanced Study, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Hanhui Ma
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Bo Sun
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
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2
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Ponndara S, Kortebi M, Boccard F, Bury-Moné S, Lioy VS. Principles of bacterial genome organization, a conformational point of view. Mol Microbiol 2024. [PMID: 38922728 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial chromosomes are large molecules that need to be highly compacted to fit inside the cells. Chromosome compaction must facilitate and maintain key biological processes such as gene expression and DNA transactions (replication, recombination, repair, and segregation). Chromosome and chromatin 3D-organization in bacteria has been a puzzle for decades. Chromosome conformation capture coupled to deep sequencing (Hi-C) in combination with other "omics" approaches has allowed dissection of the structural layers that shape bacterial chromosome organization, from DNA topology to global chromosome architecture. Here we review the latest findings using Hi-C and discuss the main features of bacterial genome folding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sokrich Ponndara
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Mounia Kortebi
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Frédéric Boccard
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Stéphanie Bury-Moné
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Virginia S Lioy
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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3
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Pulianmackal LT, Vecchiarelli AG. Positioning of cellular components by the ParA/MinD family of ATPases. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 79:102485. [PMID: 38723344 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
The ParA/MinD (A/D) family of ATPases spatially organize an array of genetic- and protein-based cellular cargos across the bacterial and archaeal domains of life. By far, the two best-studied members, and family namesake, are ParA and MinD, involved in bacterial DNA segregation and divisome positioning, respectively. ParA and MinD make protein waves on the nucleoid or membrane to segregate chromosomes and position the divisome. Less studied is the growing list of A/D ATPases widespread across bacteria and implicated in the subcellular organization of diverse protein-based complexes and organelles involved in myriad biological processes, from metabolism to pathogenesis. Here we describe mechanistic commonality, variation, and coordination among the most widespread family of positioning ATPases used in the subcellular organization of disparate cargos across bacteria and archaea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa T Pulianmackal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Anthony G Vecchiarelli
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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4
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Key J, Gispert S, Auburger G. Knockout Mouse Studies Show That Mitochondrial CLPP Peptidase and CLPX Unfoldase Act in Matrix Condensates near IMM, as Fast Stress Response in Protein Assemblies for Transcript Processing, Translation, and Heme Production. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:694. [PMID: 38927630 DOI: 10.3390/genes15060694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
LONP1 is the principal AAA+ unfoldase and bulk protease in the mitochondrial matrix, so its deletion causes embryonic lethality. The AAA+ unfoldase CLPX and the peptidase CLPP also act in the matrix, especially during stress periods, but their substrates are poorly defined. Mammalian CLPP deletion triggers infertility, deafness, growth retardation, and cGAS-STING-activated cytosolic innate immunity. CLPX mutations impair heme biosynthesis and heavy metal homeostasis. CLPP and CLPX are conserved from bacteria to humans, despite their secondary role in proteolysis. Based on recent proteomic-metabolomic evidence from knockout mice and patient cells, we propose that CLPP acts on phase-separated ribonucleoprotein granules and CLPX on multi-enzyme condensates as first-aid systems near the inner mitochondrial membrane. Trimming within assemblies, CLPP rescues stalled processes in mitoribosomes, mitochondrial RNA granules and nucleoids, and the D-foci-mediated degradation of toxic double-stranded mtRNA/mtDNA. Unfolding multi-enzyme condensates, CLPX maximizes PLP-dependent delta-transamination and rescues malformed nascent peptides. Overall, their actions occur in granules with multivalent or hydrophobic interactions, separated from the aqueous phase. Thus, the role of CLPXP in the matrix is compartment-selective, as other mitochondrial peptidases: MPPs at precursor import pores, m-AAA and i-AAA at either IMM face, PARL within the IMM, and OMA1/HTRA2 in the intermembrane space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Key
- Experimental Neurology, Clinic of Neurology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Heinrich Hoffmann Str. 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Suzana Gispert
- Experimental Neurology, Clinic of Neurology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Heinrich Hoffmann Str. 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Georg Auburger
- Experimental Neurology, Clinic of Neurology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Heinrich Hoffmann Str. 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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5
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Köhler R, Murray SM. Plasmid partitioning driven by collective migration of ParA between nucleoid lobes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2319205121. [PMID: 38652748 PMCID: PMC11067062 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2319205121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The ParABS system is crucial for the faithful segregation and inheritance of many bacterial chromosomes and low-copy-number plasmids. However, despite extensive research, the spatiotemporal dynamics of the ATPase ParA and its connection to the dynamics and positioning of the ParB-coated cargo have remained unclear. In this study, we utilize high-throughput imaging, quantitative data analysis, and computational modeling to explore the in vivo dynamics of ParA and its interaction with ParB-coated plasmids and the nucleoid. As previously observed, we find that F-plasmid ParA undergoes collective migrations ("flips") between cell halves multiple times per cell cycle. We reveal that a constricting nucleoid is required for these migrations and that they are triggered by a plasmid crossing into the cell half with greater ParA. Using simulations, we show that these dynamics can be explained by the combination of nucleoid constriction and cooperative ParA binding to the DNA, in line with the behavior of other ParA proteins. We further show that these ParA flips act to equally partition plasmids between the two lobes of the constricted nucleoid and are therefore important for plasmid stability, especially in fast growth conditions for which the nucleoid constricts early in the cell cycle. Overall, our work identifies a second mode of action of the ParABS system and deepens our understanding of how this important segregation system functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Köhler
- Department of Systems and Synthetic Microbiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and Centre for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Marburg35043, Germany
| | - Seán M. Murray
- Department of Systems and Synthetic Microbiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and Centre for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Marburg35043, Germany
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6
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Linnik D, Maslov I, Punter CM, Poolman B. Dynamic structure of E. coli cytoplasm: supramolecular complexes and cell aging impact spatial distribution and mobility of proteins. Commun Biol 2024; 7:508. [PMID: 38678067 PMCID: PMC11055878 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06216-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein diffusion is a critical factor governing the functioning and organization of a cell's cytoplasm. In this study, we investigate the influence of (poly)ribosome distribution, cell aging, protein aggregation, and biomolecular condensate formation on protein mobility within the E. coli cytoplasm. We employ nanoscale single-molecule displacement mapping (SMdM) to determine the spatial distribution of the proteins and to meticulously track their diffusion. We show that the distribution of polysomes does not impact the lateral diffusion coefficients of proteins. However, the degradation of mRNA induced by rifampicin treatment leads to an increase in protein mobility within the cytoplasm. Additionally, we establish a significant correlation between cell aging, the asymmetric localization of protein aggregates and reduced diffusion coefficients at the cell poles. Notably, we observe variations in the hindrance of diffusion at the poles and the central nucleoid region for small and large proteins, and we reveal differences between the old and new pole of the cell. Collectively, our research highlights cellular processes and mechanisms responsible for spatially organizing the bacterial cytoplasm into domains with different structural features and apparent viscosity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitrii Linnik
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, the Netherlands
| | - Ivan Maslov
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, the Netherlands
| | - Christiaan Michiel Punter
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, the Netherlands
| | - Bert Poolman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, the Netherlands.
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7
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Hoang Y, Azaldegui CA, Dow RE, Ghalmi M, Biteen JS, Vecchiarelli AG. An experimental framework to assess biomolecular condensates in bacteria. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3222. [PMID: 38622124 PMCID: PMC11018776 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47330-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
High-resolution imaging of biomolecular condensates in living cells is essential for correlating their properties to those observed through in vitro assays. However, such experiments are limited in bacteria due to resolution limitations. Here we present an experimental framework that probes the formation, reversibility, and dynamics of condensate-forming proteins in Escherichia coli as a means to determine the nature of biomolecular condensates in bacteria. We demonstrate that condensates form after passing a threshold concentration, maintain a soluble fraction, dissolve upon shifts in temperature and concentration, and exhibit dynamics consistent with internal rearrangement and exchange between condensed and soluble fractions. We also discover that an established marker for insoluble protein aggregates, IbpA, has different colocalization patterns with bacterial condensates and aggregates, demonstrating its potential applicability as a reporter to differentiate the two in vivo. Overall, this framework provides a generalizable, accessible, and rigorous set of experiments to probe the nature of biomolecular condensates on the sub-micron scale in bacterial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Hoang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | | | - Rachel E Dow
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Maria Ghalmi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Julie S Biteen
- Doctoral Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Anthony G Vecchiarelli
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
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8
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Harju J, Broedersz CP. Physical models of bacterial chromosomes. Mol Microbiol 2024. [PMID: 38578226 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
The interplay between bacterial chromosome organization and functions such as transcription and replication can be studied in increasing detail using novel experimental techniques. Interpreting the resulting quantitative data, however, can be theoretically challenging. In this minireview, we discuss how connecting experimental observations to biophysical theory and modeling can give rise to new insights on bacterial chromosome organization. We consider three flavors of models of increasing complexity: simple polymer models that explore how physical constraints, such as confinement or plectoneme branching, can affect bacterial chromosome organization; bottom-up mechanistic models that connect these constraints to their underlying causes, for instance, chromosome compaction to macromolecular crowding, or supercoiling to transcription; and finally, data-driven methods for inferring interpretable and quantitative models directly from complex experimental data. Using recent examples, we discuss how biophysical models can both deepen our understanding of how bacterial chromosomes are structured and give rise to novel predictions about bacterial chromosome organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janni Harju
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Chase P Broedersz
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Physics, Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich, Munich, Germany
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9
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Park J, Kim JJ, Ryu JK. Mechanism of phase condensation for chromosome architecture and function. Exp Mol Med 2024; 56:809-819. [PMID: 38658703 PMCID: PMC11059216 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-024-01226-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Chromosomal phase separation is involved in a broad spectrum of chromosome organization and functional processes. Nonetheless, the intricacy of this process has left its molecular mechanism unclear. Here, we introduce the principles governing phase separation and its connections to physiological roles in this context. Our primary focus is contrasting two phase separation mechanisms: self-association-induced phase separation (SIPS) and bridging-induced phase separation (BIPS). We provide a comprehensive discussion of the distinct features characterizing these mechanisms and offer illustrative examples that suggest their broad applicability. With a detailed understanding of these mechanisms, we explore their associations with nucleosomes and chromosomal biological functions. This comprehensive review contributes to the exploration of uncharted territory in the intricate interplay between chromosome architecture and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeongveen Park
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
| | - Jeong-Jun Kim
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
| | - Je-Kyung Ryu
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea.
- Institute of Applied Physics of Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea.
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea.
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea.
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10
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Tišma M, Bock FP, Kerssemakers J, Antar H, Japaridze A, Gruber S, Dekker C. Direct observation of a crescent-shape chromosome in expanded Bacillus subtilis cells. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2737. [PMID: 38548820 PMCID: PMC10979009 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47094-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial chromosomes are folded into tightly regulated three-dimensional structures to ensure proper transcription, replication, and segregation of the genetic information. Direct visualization of chromosomal shape within bacterial cells is hampered by cell-wall confinement and the optical diffraction limit. Here, we combine cell-shape manipulation strategies, high-resolution fluorescence microscopy techniques, and genetic engineering to visualize the shape of unconfined bacterial chromosome in real-time in live Bacillus subtilis cells that are expanded in volume. We show that the chromosomes predominantly exhibit crescent shapes with a non-uniform DNA density that is increased near the origin of replication (oriC). Additionally, we localized ParB and BsSMC proteins - the key drivers of chromosomal organization - along the contour of the crescent chromosome, showing the highest density near oriC. Opening of the BsSMC ring complex disrupted the crescent chromosome shape and instead yielded a torus shape. These findings help to understand the threedimensional organization of the chromosome and the main protein complexes that underlie its structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miloš Tišma
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Florian Patrick Bock
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology (DMF), Faculty of Biology and Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jacob Kerssemakers
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Hammam Antar
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology (DMF), Faculty of Biology and Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aleksandre Japaridze
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Stephan Gruber
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology (DMF), Faculty of Biology and Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cees Dekker
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands.
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11
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Erkelens AM, van Erp B, Meijer WJJ, Dame RT. Rok from B. subtilis: Bridging genome structure and transcription regulation. Mol Microbiol 2024. [PMID: 38511404 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial genomes are folded and organized into compact yet dynamic structures, called nucleoids. Nucleoid orchestration involves many factors at multiple length scales, such as nucleoid-associated proteins and liquid-liquid phase separation, and has to be compatible with replication and transcription. Possibly, genome organization plays an intrinsic role in transcription regulation, in addition to classical transcription factors. In this review, we provide arguments supporting this view using the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis as a model. Proteins BsSMC, HBsu and Rok all impact the structure of the B. subtilis chromosome. Particularly for Rok, there is compelling evidence that it combines its structural function with a role as global gene regulator. Many studies describe either function of Rok, but rarely both are addressed at the same time. Here, we review both sides of the coin and integrate them into one model. Rok forms unusually stable DNA-DNA bridges and this ability likely underlies its repressive effect on transcription by either preventing RNA polymerase from binding to DNA or trapping it inside DNA loops. Partner proteins are needed to change or relieve Rok-mediated gene repression. Lastly, we investigate which features characterize H-NS-like proteins, a family that, at present, lacks a clear definition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Erkelens
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Genome Research, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Bert van Erp
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Genome Research, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Wilfried J J Meijer
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), C. Nicolás Cabrera 1, Universidad Autónoma, Madrid, Spain
| | - Remus T Dame
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Genome Research, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
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12
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Fraikin N, Van Melderen L. Single-cell evidence for plasmid addiction mediated by toxin-antitoxin systems. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:1847-1859. [PMID: 38224456 PMCID: PMC10899753 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are small selfish genetic modules that increase vertical stability of their replicons. They have long been thought to stabilize plasmids by killing cells that fail to inherit a plasmid copy through a phenomenon called post-segregational killing (PSK) or addiction. While this model has been widely accepted, no direct observation of PSK was reported in the literature. Here, we devised a system that enables visualization of plasmid loss and PSK at the single-cell level using meganuclease-driven plasmid curing. Using the ccd system, we show that cells deprived of a ccd-encoding plasmid show hallmarks of DNA damage, i.e. filamentation and induction of the SOS response. Activation of ccd triggered cell death in most plasmid-free segregants, although some intoxicated cells were able to resume growth, showing that PSK-induced damage can be repaired in a SOS-dependent manner. Damage induced by ccd activates resident lambdoid prophages, which potentiate the killing effect of ccd. The loss of a model plasmid containing TA systems encoding toxins presenting various molecular mechanisms induced different morphological changes, growth arrest and loss of viability. Our experimental setup enables further studies of TA-induced phenotypes and suggests that PSK is a general mechanism for plasmid stabilization by TA systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Fraikin
- Bacterial Genetics and Physiology, Department of Molecular Biology, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Laurence Van Melderen
- Bacterial Genetics and Physiology, Department of Molecular Biology, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 6041 Gosselies, Belgium
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13
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Monterroso B, Margolin W, Boersma AJ, Rivas G, Poolman B, Zorrilla S. Macromolecular Crowding, Phase Separation, and Homeostasis in the Orchestration of Bacterial Cellular Functions. Chem Rev 2024; 124:1899-1949. [PMID: 38331392 PMCID: PMC10906006 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Macromolecular crowding affects the activity of proteins and functional macromolecular complexes in all cells, including bacteria. Crowding, together with physicochemical parameters such as pH, ionic strength, and the energy status, influences the structure of the cytoplasm and thereby indirectly macromolecular function. Notably, crowding also promotes the formation of biomolecular condensates by phase separation, initially identified in eukaryotic cells but more recently discovered to play key functions in bacteria. Bacterial cells require a variety of mechanisms to maintain physicochemical homeostasis, in particular in environments with fluctuating conditions, and the formation of biomolecular condensates is emerging as one such mechanism. In this work, we connect physicochemical homeostasis and macromolecular crowding with the formation and function of biomolecular condensates in the bacterial cell and compare the supramolecular structures found in bacteria with those of eukaryotic cells. We focus on the effects of crowding and phase separation on the control of bacterial chromosome replication, segregation, and cell division, and we discuss the contribution of biomolecular condensates to bacterial cell fitness and adaptation to environmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Begoña Monterroso
- Department
of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas
Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones
Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - William Margolin
- Department
of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth-Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Arnold J. Boersma
- Cellular
Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty
of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Germán Rivas
- Department
of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas
Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones
Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Bert Poolman
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Silvia Zorrilla
- Department
of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas
Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones
Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
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14
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Tišma M, Kaljević J, Gruber S, Le TBK, Dekker C. Connecting the dots: key insights on ParB for chromosome segregation from single-molecule studies. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2024; 48:fuad067. [PMID: 38142222 PMCID: PMC10786196 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuad067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial cells require DNA segregation machinery to properly distribute a genome to both daughter cells upon division. The most common system involved in chromosome and plasmid segregation in bacteria is the ParABS system. A core protein of this system - partition protein B (ParB) - regulates chromosome organization and chromosome segregation during the bacterial cell cycle. Over the past decades, research has greatly advanced our knowledge of the ParABS system. However, many intricate details of the mechanism of ParB proteins were only recently uncovered using in vitro single-molecule techniques. These approaches allowed the exploration of ParB proteins in precisely controlled environments, free from the complexities of the cellular milieu. This review covers the early developments of this field but emphasizes recent advances in our knowledge of the mechanistic understanding of ParB proteins as revealed by in vitro single-molecule methods. Furthermore, we provide an outlook on future endeavors in investigating ParB, ParB-like proteins, and their interaction partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miloš Tišma
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology; Van der Maasweg 9, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Jovana Kaljević
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, NR4 7UH Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Stephan Gruber
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology (DMF), Faculty of Biology and Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne, UNIL-Sorge, Biophore, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tung B K Le
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, NR4 7UH Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Cees Dekker
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology; Van der Maasweg 9, Delft, the Netherlands
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15
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Nandana V, Al-Husini N, Vaishnav A, Dilrangi KH, Schrader JM. Caulobacter crescentus RNase E condensation contributes to autoregulation and fitness. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.15.571756. [PMID: 38168245 PMCID: PMC10760160 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.15.571756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
RNase E is the most common RNA decay nuclease in bacteria, setting the global mRNA decay rate and scaffolding formation of the RNA degradosome complex and BR-bodies. To properly set the global mRNA decay rate, RNase E from Escherichia coli and neighboring γ-proteobacteria were found to autoregulate RNase E levels via the decay of its mRNA's 5' UTR. While the 5' UTR is absent from other groups of bacteria in the Rfam database, we identified that the α-proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus RNase E contains a similar 5' UTR structure that promotes RNase E autoregulation. In both bacteria, the C-terminal IDR of RNase E is required for proper autoregulation to occur, and this IDR is also necessary and sufficient for RNase E to phase-separate, generating BR-bodies. Using in vitro purified RNase E, we find that the IDR's ability to promote phase-separation correlates with enhanced 5' UTR cleavage, suggesting that phase-separation of RNase E with the 5' UTR enhances autoregulation. Finally, using growth competition experiments we find that a strain capable of autoregulation rapidly outcompetes a strain with a 5' UTR mutation that cannot autoregulate, suggesting autoregulation promotes optimal cellular fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidhyadhar Nandana
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202
| | - Nadra Al-Husini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202
| | | | | | - Jared M. Schrader
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202
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16
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Cornet F, Blanchais C, Dusfour-Castan R, Meunier A, Quebre V, Sekkouri Alaoui H, Boudsoq F, Campos M, Crozat E, Guynet C, Pasta F, Rousseau P, Ton Hoang B, Bouet JY. DNA Segregation in Enterobacteria. EcoSal Plus 2023; 11:eesp00382020. [PMID: 37220081 PMCID: PMC10729935 DOI: 10.1128/ecosalplus.esp-0038-2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
DNA segregation ensures that cell offspring receive at least one copy of each DNA molecule, or replicon, after their replication. This important cellular process includes different phases leading to the physical separation of the replicons and their movement toward the future daughter cells. Here, we review these phases and processes in enterobacteria with emphasis on the molecular mechanisms at play and their controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Cornet
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Corentin Blanchais
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Romane Dusfour-Castan
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Alix Meunier
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Valentin Quebre
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Hicham Sekkouri Alaoui
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - François Boudsoq
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Manuel Campos
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Estelle Crozat
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Catherine Guynet
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Franck Pasta
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Philippe Rousseau
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Bao Ton Hoang
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Yves Bouet
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
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17
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Szoke T, Goldberger O, Albocher-Kedem N, Barsheshet M, Dezorella N, Nussbaum-Shochat A, Wiener R, Schuldiner M, Amster-Choder O. Regulation of major bacterial survival strategies by transcripts sequestration in a membraneless organelle. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113393. [PMID: 37934665 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
TmaR, the only known pole-localizer protein in Escherichia coli, was shown to cluster at the cell poles and control localization and activity of the major sugar regulator in a tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent manner. Here, we show that TmaR assembles by phase separation (PS) via heterotypic interactions with RNA in vivo and in vitro. An unbiased automated mutant screen combined with directed mutagenesis and genetic manipulations uncovered the importance of a predicted nucleic-acid-binding domain, a disordered region, and charged patches, one containing the phosphorylated tyrosine, for TmaR condensation. We demonstrate that, by protecting flagella-related transcripts, TmaR controls flagella production and, thus, cell motility and biofilm formation. These results connect PS in bacteria to survival and provide an explanation for the linkage between metabolism and motility. Intriguingly, a point mutation or increase in its cellular concentration induces irreversible liquid-to-solid transition of TmaR, similar to human disease-causing proteins, which affects cell morphology and division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Szoke
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, IMRIC, The Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Omer Goldberger
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, IMRIC, The Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Nitsan Albocher-Kedem
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, IMRIC, The Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Meshi Barsheshet
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, IMRIC, The Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Nili Dezorella
- Electron Microscopy Unit, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Anat Nussbaum-Shochat
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, IMRIC, The Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Reuven Wiener
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, IMRIC, The Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Maya Schuldiner
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Orna Amster-Choder
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, IMRIC, The Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
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18
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Tišma M, Janissen R, Antar H, Martin-Gonzalez A, Barth R, Beekman T, van der Torre J, Michieletto D, Gruber S, Dekker C. Dynamic ParB-DNA interactions initiate and maintain a partition condensate for bacterial chromosome segregation. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:11856-11875. [PMID: 37850647 PMCID: PMC10681803 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
In most bacteria, chromosome segregation is driven by the ParABS system where the CTPase protein ParB loads at the parS site to trigger the formation of a large partition complex. Here, we present in vitro studies of the partition complex for Bacillus subtilis ParB, using single-molecule fluorescence microscopy and AFM imaging to show that transient ParB-ParB bridges are essential for forming DNA condensates. Molecular Dynamics simulations confirm that condensation occurs abruptly at a critical concentration of ParB and show that multimerization is a prerequisite for forming the partition complex. Magnetic tweezer force spectroscopy on mutant ParB proteins demonstrates that CTP hydrolysis at the N-terminal domain is essential for DNA condensation. Finally, we show that transcribing RNA polymerases can steadily traverse the ParB-DNA partition complex. These findings uncover how ParB forms a stable yet dynamic partition complex for chromosome segregation that induces DNA condensation and segregation while enabling replication and transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miloš Tišma
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Richard Janissen
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Hammam Antar
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alejandro Martin-Gonzalez
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Roman Barth
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Twan Beekman
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Jaco van der Torre
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Davide Michieletto
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stephan Gruber
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cees Dekker
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
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19
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Chawla R, Tom JKA, Boyd T, Grotjahn DA, Park D, Deniz AA, Racki LR. Reentrant DNA shells tune polyphosphate condensate size. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.13.557044. [PMID: 37745474 PMCID: PMC10515899 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.13.557044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
The ancient, inorganic biopolymer polyphosphate (polyP) occurs in all three domains of life and affects myriad cellular processes. An intriguing feature of polyP is its frequent proximity to chromatin, and in the case of many bacteria, its occurrence in the form of magnesium-enriched condensates embedded in the nucleoid, particularly in response to stress. The physical basis of the interaction between polyP and DNA, two fundamental anionic biopolymers, and the resulting effects on the organization of both the nucleoid and polyP condensates remain poorly understood. Given the essential role of magnesium ions in the coordination of polymeric phosphate species, we hypothesized that a minimal system of polyP, magnesium ions, and DNA (polyP-Mg2+-DNA) would capture key features of the interplay between the condensates and bacterial chromatin. We find that DNA can profoundly affect polyP-Mg2+ coacervation even at concentrations several orders of magnitude lower than found in the cell. The DNA forms shells around polyP-Mg2+ condensates and these shells show reentrant behavior, primarily forming in the concentration range close to polyP-Mg2+ charge neutralization. This surface association tunes both condensate size and DNA morphology in a manner dependent on DNA properties, including length and concentration. Our work identifies three components that could form the basis of a central and tunable interaction hub that interfaces with cellular interactors. These studies will inform future efforts to understand the basis of polyP granule composition and consolidation, as well as the potential capacity of these mesoscale assemblies to remodel chromatin in response to diverse stressors at different length and time scales.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tumara Boyd
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Danielle A. Grotjahn
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Donghyun Park
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Ashok A. Deniz
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Lisa R. Racki
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
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20
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Kuczyńska-Wiśnik D, Stojowska-Swędrzyńska K, Laskowska E. Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation and Protective Protein Aggregates in Bacteria. Molecules 2023; 28:6582. [PMID: 37764358 PMCID: PMC10534466 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28186582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and the formation of membraneless organelles (MLOs) contribute to the spatiotemporal organization of various physiological processes in the cell. These phenomena have been studied and characterized mainly in eukaryotic cells. However, increasing evidence indicates that LLPS-driven protein condensation may also occur in prokaryotes. Recent studies indicate that aggregates formed during proteotoxic stresses may also play the role of MLOs and increase the fitness of bacteria under stress. The beneficial effect of aggregates may result from the sequestration and protection of proteins against irreversible inactivation or degradation, activation of the protein quality control system and induction of dormancy. The most common stress that bacteria encounter in the natural environment is water loss. Therefore, in this review, we focus on protein aggregates formed in E. coli upon desiccation-rehydration stress. In silico analyses suggest that various mechanisms and interactions are responsible for their formation, including LLPS, disordered sequences and aggregation-prone regions. These data support findings that intrinsically disordered proteins and LLPS may contribute to desiccation tolerance not only in eukaryotic cells but also in bacteria. LLPS-driven aggregation may be a strategy used by pathogens to survive antibiotic treatment and desiccation stress in the hospital environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ewa Laskowska
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; (D.K.-W.); (K.S.-S.)
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21
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Basalla JL, Mak CA, Byrne JA, Ghalmi M, Hoang Y, Vecchiarelli AG. Dissecting the phase separation and oligomerization activities of the carboxysome positioning protein McdB. eLife 2023; 12:e81362. [PMID: 37668016 PMCID: PMC10554743 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Across bacteria, protein-based organelles called bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) encapsulate key enzymes to regulate their activities. The model BMC is the carboxysome that encapsulates enzymes for CO2 fixation to increase efficiency and is found in many autotrophic bacteria, such as cyanobacteria. Despite their importance in the global carbon cycle, little is known about how carboxysomes are spatially regulated. We recently identified the two-factor system required for the maintenance of carboxysome distribution (McdAB). McdA drives the equal spacing of carboxysomes via interactions with McdB, which associates with carboxysomes. McdA is a ParA/MinD ATPase, a protein family well studied in positioning diverse cellular structures in bacteria. However, the adaptor proteins like McdB that connect these ATPases to their cargos are extremely diverse. In fact, McdB represents a completely unstudied class of proteins. Despite the diversity, many adaptor proteins undergo phase separation, but functional roles remain unclear. Here, we define the domain architecture of McdB from the model cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, and dissect its mode of biomolecular condensate formation. We identify an N-terminal intrinsically disordered region (IDR) that modulates condensate solubility, a central coiled-coil dimerizing domain that drives condensate formation, and a C-terminal domain that trimerizes McdB dimers and provides increased valency for condensate formation. We then identify critical basic residues in the IDR, which we mutate to glutamines to solubilize condensates. Finally, we find that a condensate-defective mutant of McdB has altered association with carboxysomes and influences carboxysome enzyme content. The results have broad implications for understanding spatial organization of BMCs and the molecular grammar of protein condensates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph L Basalla
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Claudia A Mak
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Jordan A Byrne
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Maria Ghalmi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Y Hoang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Anthony G Vecchiarelli
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn ArborUnited States
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22
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Lidman J, Sallova Y, Matečko-Burmann I, Burmann BM. Structure and dynamics of the mitochondrial DNA-compaction factor Abf2 from S. cerevisiae. J Struct Biol 2023; 215:108008. [PMID: 37543301 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2023.108008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondria are essential organelles that produce most of the energy via the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system in all eukaryotic cells. Several essential subunits of the OXPHOS system are encoded by the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) despite its small size. Defects in mtDNA maintenance and expression can lead to severe OXPHOS deficiencies and are amongst the most common causes of mitochondrial disease. The mtDNA is packaged as nucleoprotein structures, referred to as nucleoids. The conserved mitochondrial proteins, ARS-binding factor 2 (Abf2) in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) in mammals, are nucleoid associated proteins (NAPs) acting as condensing factors needed for packaging and maintenance of the mtDNA. Interestingly, gene knockout of Abf2 leads, in yeast, to the loss of mtDNA and respiratory growth, providing evidence for its crucial role. On a structural level, the condensing factors usually contain two DNA binding domains called high-mobility group boxes (HMG boxes). The co-operating mechanical activities of these domains are crucial in establishing the nucleoid architecture by bending the DNA strands. Here we used advanced solution NMR spectroscopy methods to characterize the dynamical properties of Abf2 together with its interaction with DNA. We find that the two HMG-domains react notably different to external cues like temperature and salt, indicating distinct functional properties. Biophysical characterizations show the pronounced difference of these domains upon DNA-binding, suggesting a refined picture of the Abf2 functional cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Lidman
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Ylber Sallova
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Irena Matečko-Burmann
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Björn M Burmann
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden.
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23
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Kaljević J, Tesseur C, Le TBK, Laloux G. Cell cycle-dependent organization of a bacterial centromere through multi-layered regulation of the ParABS system. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010951. [PMID: 37733798 PMCID: PMC10547168 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The accurate distribution of genetic material is crucial for all organisms. In most bacteria, chromosome segregation is achieved by the ParABS system, in which the ParB-bound parS sequence is actively partitioned by ParA. While this system is highly conserved, its adaptation in organisms with unique lifestyles and its regulation between developmental stages remain largely unexplored. Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a predatory bacterium proliferating through polyploid replication and non-binary division inside other bacteria. Our study reveals the subcellular dynamics and multi-layered regulation of the ParABS system, coupled to the cell cycle of B. bacteriovorus. We found that ParA:ParB ratios fluctuate between predation stages, their balance being critical for cell cycle progression. Moreover, the parS chromosomal context in non-replicative cells, combined with ParB depletion at cell division, critically contribute to the unique cell cycle-dependent organization of the centromere in this bacterium, highlighting new levels of complexity in chromosome segregation and cell cycle control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tung B. K. Le
- John Innes Centre, Department of Molecular Microbiology, Norwich, United Kingdom
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24
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Mantovanelli L, Linnik DS, Punter M, Kojakhmetov HJ, Śmigiel WM, Poolman B. Simulation-based Reconstructed Diffusion unveils the effect of aging on protein diffusion in Escherichia coli. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011093. [PMID: 37695774 PMCID: PMC10513214 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
We have developed Simulation-based Reconstructed Diffusion (SbRD) to determine diffusion coefficients corrected for confinement effects and for the bias introduced by two-dimensional models describing a three-dimensional motion. We validate the method on simulated diffusion data in three-dimensional cell-shaped compartments. We use SbRD, combined with a new cell detection method, to determine the diffusion coefficients of a set of native proteins in Escherichia coli. We observe slower diffusion at the cell poles than in the nucleoid region of exponentially growing cells, which is independent of the presence of polysomes. Furthermore, we show that the newly formed pole of dividing cells exhibits a faster diffusion than the old one. We hypothesize that the observed slowdown at the cell poles is caused by the accumulation of aggregated or damaged proteins, and that the effect is asymmetric due to cell aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Mantovanelli
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Dmitrii S. Linnik
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Michiel Punter
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Wojciech M. Śmigiel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Bert Poolman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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25
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Fan J, El Sayyed H, Pambos OJ, Stracy M, Kyropoulos J, Kapanidis AN. RNA polymerase redistribution supports growth in E. coli strains with a minimal number of rRNA operons. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:8085-8101. [PMID: 37351576 PMCID: PMC10450203 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial transcription by RNA polymerase (RNAP) is spatially organized. RNAPs transcribing highly expressed genes locate in the nucleoid periphery, and form clusters in rich medium, with several studies linking RNAP clustering and transcription of rRNA (rrn). However, the nature of RNAP clusters and their association with rrn transcription remains unclear. Here we address these questions by using single-molecule tracking to monitor the subcellular distribution of mobile and immobile RNAP in strains with a heavily reduced number of chromosomal rrn operons (Δrrn strains). Strikingly, we find that the fraction of chromosome-associated RNAP (which is mainly engaged in transcription) is robust to deleting five or six of the seven chromosomal rrn operons. Spatial analysis in Δrrn strains showed substantial RNAP redistribution during moderate growth, with clustering increasing at cell endcaps, where the remaining rrn operons reside. These results support a model where RNAPs in Δrrn strains relocate to copies of the remaining rrn operons. In rich medium, Δrrn strains redistribute RNAP to minimize growth defects due to rrn deletions, with very high RNAP densities on rrn genes leading to genomic instability. Our study links RNAP clusters and rrn transcription, and offers insight into how bacteria maintain growth in the presence of only 1-2 rrn operons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Fan
- Biological Physics Research Group, Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 611731, China
| | - Hafez El Sayyed
- Biological Physics Research Group, Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin building, University of Oxford, Sherrington Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Oliver J Pambos
- Biological Physics Research Group, Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin building, University of Oxford, Sherrington Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Mathew Stracy
- Biological Physics Research Group, Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Jingwen Kyropoulos
- Biological Physics Research Group, Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
| | - Achillefs N Kapanidis
- Biological Physics Research Group, Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin building, University of Oxford, Sherrington Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
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26
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Kawalek A, Bartosik AA, Jagura-Burdzy G. Robust ParB Binding to Half- parS Sites in Pseudomonas aeruginosa-A Mechanism for Retaining ParB on the Nucleoid? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12517. [PMID: 37569892 PMCID: PMC10419367 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromosome segregation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is assisted by the tripartite ParAB-parS system, composed of an ATPase (ParA), a DNA-binding protein (ParB) and its target parS sequence(s). ParB forms a nucleoprotein complex around four parSs (parS1-parS4) that overlaps oriC and facilitates relocation of newly synthesized ori domains inside the cells by ParA. Remarkably, ParB of P. aeruginosa also binds to numerous heptanucleotides (half-parSs) scattered in the genome. Here, using chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq), we analyzed patterns of ParB genome occupancy in cells growing under conditions of coupling or uncoupling between replication and cell division processes. Interestingly, a dissipation of ParB-parS complexes and a shift of ParB to half-parSs were observed during the transition from the exponential to stationary phase of growth on rich medium, suggesting the role of half-parSs in retaining ParB on the nucleoid within non-dividing P. aeruginosa cells. The ChIP-seq analysis of strains expressing ParB variants unable to dislocate from parSs showed that the ParB spreading ability is not required for ParB binding to half-parSs. Finally, a P. aeruginosa strain with mutated 25 half-parSs of the highest affinity towards ParB was constructed and analyzed. It showed altered ParB coverage of the oriC region and moderate changes in gene expression. Overall, this study characterizes a novel aspect of conserved bacterial chromosome segregation machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Kawalek
- Laboratory of DNA Segregation and Life Cycle of Proteobacteria, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Grazyna Jagura-Burdzy
- Laboratory of DNA Segregation and Life Cycle of Proteobacteria, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
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27
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Connolley L, Schnabel L, Thanbichler M, Murray SM. Partition complex structure can arise from sliding and bridging of ParB dimers. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4567. [PMID: 37516778 PMCID: PMC10387095 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40320-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In many bacteria, chromosome segregation requires the association of ParB to the parS-containing centromeric region to form the partition complex. However, the structure and formation of this complex have been unclear. Recently, studies have revealed that CTP binding enables ParB dimers to slide along DNA and condense the centromeric region through the formation of DNA bridges. Using semi-flexible polymer simulations, we demonstrate that these properties can explain partition complex formation. Transient ParB bridges organize DNA into globular states or hairpins and helical structures, depending on bridge lifetime, while separate simulations show that ParB sliding reproduces the multi-peaked binding profile observed in Caulobacter crescentus. Combining sliding and bridging into a unified model, we find that short-lived ParB bridges do not impede sliding and can reproduce both the binding profile and condensation of the nucleoprotein complex. Overall, our model elucidates the mechanism of partition complex formation and predicts its fine structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Connolley
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and Center for Synthetic Microbiology, 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Lucas Schnabel
- Department of Biology, University of Marburg, 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Martin Thanbichler
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and Center for Synthetic Microbiology, 35043, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Marburg, 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Seán M Murray
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and Center for Synthetic Microbiology, 35043, Marburg, Germany.
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28
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Saar KL, Qian D, Good LL, Morgunov AS, Collepardo-Guevara R, Best RB, Knowles TPJ. Theoretical and Data-Driven Approaches for Biomolecular Condensates. Chem Rev 2023; 123:8988-9009. [PMID: 37171907 PMCID: PMC10375482 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Biomolecular condensation processes are increasingly recognized as a fundamental mechanism that living cells use to organize biomolecules in time and space. These processes can lead to the formation of membraneless organelles that enable cells to perform distinct biochemical processes in controlled local environments, thereby supplying them with an additional degree of spatial control relative to that achieved by membrane-bound organelles. This fundamental importance of biomolecular condensation has motivated a quest to discover and understand the molecular mechanisms and determinants that drive and control this process. Within this molecular viewpoint, computational methods can provide a unique angle to studying biomolecular condensation processes by contributing the resolution and scale that are challenging to reach with experimental techniques alone. In this Review, we focus on three types of dry-lab approaches: theoretical methods, physics-driven simulations and data-driven machine learning methods. We review recent progress in using these tools for probing biomolecular condensation across all three fields and outline the key advantages and limitations of each of the approaches. We further discuss some of the key outstanding challenges that we foresee the community addressing next in order to develop a more complete picture of the molecular driving forces behind biomolecular condensation processes and their biological roles in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kadi L. Saar
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
- Transition
Bio Ltd., Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Daoyuan Qian
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Lydia L. Good
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
- Laboratory
of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Alexey S. Morgunov
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Rosana Collepardo-Guevara
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
- Department
of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, United Kingdom
| | - Robert B. Best
- Laboratory
of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Tuomas P. J. Knowles
- Yusuf
Hamied Department of Chemistry, University
of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
- Cavendish
Laboratory, Department of Physics, University
of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
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29
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Ramm B, Schumacher D, Harms A, Heermann T, Klos P, Müller F, Schwille P, Søgaard-Andersen L. Biomolecular condensate drives polymerization and bundling of the bacterial tubulin FtsZ to regulate cell division. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3825. [PMID: 37380708 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39513-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell division is spatiotemporally precisely regulated, but the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. In the social bacterium Myxococcus xanthus, the PomX/PomY/PomZ proteins form a single megadalton-sized complex that directly positions and stimulates cytokinetic ring formation by the tubulin homolog FtsZ. Here, we study the structure and mechanism of this complex in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate that PomY forms liquid-like biomolecular condensates by phase separation, while PomX self-assembles into filaments generating a single large cellular structure. The PomX structure enriches PomY, thereby guaranteeing the formation of precisely one PomY condensate per cell through surface-assisted condensation. In vitro, PomY condensates selectively enrich FtsZ and nucleate GTP-dependent FtsZ polymerization and bundle FtsZ filaments, suggesting a cell division site positioning mechanism in which the single PomY condensate enriches FtsZ to guide FtsZ-ring formation and division. This mechanism shares features with microtubule nucleation by biomolecular condensates in eukaryotes, supporting this mechanism's ancient origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Ramm
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA.
| | - Dominik Schumacher
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch Str. 10, 35043, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Andrea Harms
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch Str. 10, 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Tamara Heermann
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Philipp Klos
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch Str. 10, 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Franziska Müller
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch Str. 10, 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Lotte Søgaard-Andersen
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch Str. 10, 35043, Marburg, Germany.
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30
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Silva JL, Foguel D, Ferreira VF, Vieira TCRG, Marques MA, Ferretti GDS, Outeiro TF, Cordeiro Y, de Oliveira GAP. Targeting Biomolecular Condensation and Protein Aggregation against Cancer. Chem Rev 2023. [PMID: 37379327 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates, membrane-less entities arising from liquid-liquid phase separation, hold dichotomous roles in health and disease. Alongside their physiological functions, these condensates can transition to a solid phase, producing amyloid-like structures implicated in degenerative diseases and cancer. This review thoroughly examines the dual nature of biomolecular condensates, spotlighting their role in cancer, particularly concerning the p53 tumor suppressor. Given that over half of the malignant tumors possess mutations in the TP53 gene, this topic carries profound implications for future cancer treatment strategies. Notably, p53 not only misfolds but also forms biomolecular condensates and aggregates analogous to other protein-based amyloids, thus significantly influencing cancer progression through loss-of-function, negative dominance, and gain-of-function pathways. The exact molecular mechanisms underpinning the gain-of-function in mutant p53 remain elusive. However, cofactors like nucleic acids and glycosaminoglycans are known to be critical players in this intersection between diseases. Importantly, we reveal that molecules capable of inhibiting mutant p53 aggregation can curtail tumor proliferation and migration. Hence, targeting phase transitions to solid-like amorphous and amyloid-like states of mutant p53 offers a promising direction for innovative cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerson L Silva
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Debora Foguel
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Vitor F Ferreira
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Fluminense Federal University (UFF), Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Tuane C R G Vieira
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Mayra A Marques
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Giulia D S Ferretti
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Tiago F Outeiro
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
- Scientific employee with an honorary contract at Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Yraima Cordeiro
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Guilherme A P de Oliveira
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
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31
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Swasthi HM, Basalla JL, Dudley CE, Vecchiarelli AG, Chapman MR. Cell surface-localized CsgF condensate is a gatekeeper in bacterial curli subunit secretion. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2392. [PMID: 37100792 PMCID: PMC10133297 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38089-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Curli are functional amyloids present on the outer membrane of E. coli. CsgF is required for the proper assembly of curli. Here, we found that the CsgF phase separates in vitro and that the ability of CsgF variants to phase-separate is tightly correlated with CsgF function during curli biogenesis. Substitution of phenylalanine residues in the CsgF N-terminus both reduced the propensity of CsgF to phase-separate and impaired curli assembly. Exogenous addition of purified CsgF complemented csgF - cells. This exogenous addition assay was used to assess the ability of CsgF variants to complement csgF ‒ cells. CsgF on the cell surface modulated the secretion of CsgA, the curli major subunit, to the cell surface. We also found that the CsgB nucleator protein can form SDS-insoluble aggregates within the dynamic CsgF condensate. We propose that these multicomponent CsgF-B condensates form a nucleation-competent complex that templates CsgA amyloid formation on the cell surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hema M Swasthi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1048, USA
| | - Joseph L Basalla
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1048, USA
| | - Claire E Dudley
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1048, USA
| | - Anthony G Vecchiarelli
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1048, USA
| | - Matthew R Chapman
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1048, USA.
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32
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Whitman BT, Wang Y, Murray CRA, Glover MJN, Owttrim GW. Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation of the DEAD-Box Cyanobacterial RNA Helicase Redox (CrhR) into Dynamic Membraneless Organelles in Synechocystis sp. Strain PCC 6803. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0001523. [PMID: 36920190 PMCID: PMC10132119 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00015-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Compartmentalization of macromolecules into discrete non-lipid-bound bodies by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is a well-characterized regulatory mechanism frequently associated with the cellular stress response in eukaryotes. In contrast, the formation and importance of similar complexes is just becoming evident in bacteria. Here, we identify LLPS as the mechanism by which the DEAD-box RNA helicase, cyanobacterial RNA helicase redox (CrhR), compartmentalizes into dynamic membraneless organelles in a temporal and spatial manner in response to abiotic stress in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803. Stress conditions induced CrhR to form a single crescent localized exterior to the thylakoid membrane, indicating that this region is a crucial domain in the cyanobacterial stress response. These crescents rapidly dissipate upon alleviation of the stress conditions. Furthermore, CrhR aggregation was mediated by LLPS in an RNA-dependent reaction. We propose that dynamic CrhR condensation performs crucial roles in RNA metabolism, enabling rapid adaptation of the photosynthetic apparatus to environmental stresses. These results expand our understanding of the role that functional compartmentalization of RNA helicases and thus RNA processing in membraneless organelles by LLPS-mediated protein condensation performs in the bacterial response to environmental stress. IMPORTANCE Oxygen-evolving photosynthetic cyanobacteria evolved ~3 billion years ago, performing fundamental roles in the biogeochemical evolution of the early Earth and continue to perform fundamental roles in nutrient cycling and primary productivity today. The phylum consists of diverse species that flourish in heterogeneous environments. A prime driver for survival is the ability to alter photosynthetic performance in response to the shifting environmental conditions these organisms continuously encounter. This study demonstrated that diverse abiotic stresses elicit dramatic changes in localization and structural organization of the RNA helicase CrhR associated with the photosynthetic thylakoid membrane. These dynamic changes, mediated by a liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS)-mediated mechanism, reveal a novel mechanism by which cyanobacteria can compartmentalize the activity of ribonucleoprotein complexes in membraneless organelles. The results have significant consequences for understanding bacterial adaptation and survival in response to changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan T. Whitman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yixiong Wang
- Department of Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Cameron R. A. Murray
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mark J. N. Glover
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - George W. Owttrim
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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33
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Vecchiarelli A, Hoang Y, Azaldegui C, Ghalmi M, Biteen J. An experimental framework to assess biomolecular condensates in bacteria. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2725220. [PMID: 37066349 PMCID: PMC10104261 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2725220/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
High-resolution imaging of biomolecular condensates in living cells is essential for correlating their properties to those observed through in vitro assays. However, such experiments are limited in bacteria due to resolution limitations. Here we present an experimental framework that probes the formation, reversibility, and dynamics of condensate-forming proteins in Escherichia coli as a means to determine the nature of biomolecular condensates in bacteria. We demonstrate that condensates form after passing a threshold concentration, maintain a soluble fraction, dissolve upon shifts in temperature and concentration, and exhibit dynamics consistent with internal rearrangement and exchange between condensed and soluble fractions. We also discovered that an established marker for insoluble protein aggregates, IbpA, has different colocalization patterns with bacterial condensates and aggregates, demonstrating its applicability as a reporter to differentiate the two in vivo. Overall, this framework provides a generalizable, accessible, and rigorous set of experiments to probe the nature of biomolecular condensates on the sub-micron scale in bacterial cells.
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34
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Alghoul E, Paloni M, Takedachi A, Urbach S, Barducci A, Gaillard PH, Basbous J, Constantinou A. Compartmentalization of the SUMO/RNF4 pathway by SLX4 drives DNA repair. Mol Cell 2023; 83:1640-1658.e9. [PMID: 37059091 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
SLX4, disabled in the Fanconi anemia group P, is a scaffolding protein that coordinates the action of structure-specific endonucleases and other proteins involved in the replication-coupled repair of DNA interstrand cross-links. Here, we show that SLX4 dimerization and SUMO-SIM interactions drive the assembly of SLX4 membraneless compartments in the nucleus called condensates. Super-resolution microscopy reveals that SLX4 forms chromatin-bound clusters of nanocondensates. We report that SLX4 compartmentalizes the SUMO-RNF4 signaling pathway. SENP6 and RNF4 regulate the assembly and disassembly of SLX4 condensates, respectively. SLX4 condensation per se triggers the selective modification of proteins by SUMO and ubiquitin. Specifically, SLX4 condensation induces ubiquitylation and chromatin extraction of topoisomerase 1 DNA-protein cross-links. SLX4 condensation also induces the nucleolytic degradation of newly replicated DNA. We propose that the compartmentalization of proteins by SLX4 through site-specific interactions ensures the spatiotemporal control of protein modifications and nucleolytic reactions during DNA repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emile Alghoul
- Institut de Génétique Humaine, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Matteo Paloni
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Arato Takedachi
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, CRCM, Marseille, France
| | - Serge Urbach
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France; Montpellier RIO Imaging, Montpellier, France
| | - Alessandro Barducci
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Jihane Basbous
- Institut de Génétique Humaine, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
| | - Angelos Constantinou
- Institut de Génétique Humaine, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
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35
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Hoang Y, Azaldegui CA, Ghalmi M, Biteen JS, Vecchiarelli AG. An experimental framework to assess biomolecular condensates in bacteria. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.22.533878. [PMID: 36993636 PMCID: PMC10055370 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.22.533878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
High-resolution imaging of biomolecular condensates in living cells is essential for correlating their properties to those observed through in vitro assays. However, such experiments are limited in bacteria due to resolution limitations. Here we present an experimental framework that probes the formation, reversibility, and dynamics of condensate-forming proteins in Escherichia coli as a means to determine the nature of biomolecular condensates in bacteria. We demonstrate that condensates form after passing a threshold concentration, maintain a soluble fraction, dissolve upon shifts in temperature and concentration, and exhibit dynamics consistent with internal rearrangement and exchange between condensed and soluble fractions. We also discovered that an established marker for insoluble protein aggregates, IbpA, has different colocalization patterns with bacterial condensates and aggregates, demonstrating its applicability as a reporter to differentiate the two in vivo. Overall, this framework provides a generalizable, accessible, and rigorous set of experiments to probe the nature of biomolecular condensates on the sub-micron scale in bacterial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Hoang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
- Equal contribution
| | - Christopher A. Azaldegui
- Doctoral Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
- Equal contribution
| | - Maria Ghalmi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Julie S. Biteen
- Doctoral Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Anthony G. Vecchiarelli
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
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36
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CTP switches in ParABS-mediated bacterial chromosome segregation and beyond. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 73:102289. [PMID: 36871427 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Segregation of genetic material is a fundamental process in biology. In many bacterial species, segregation of chromosomes and low-copy plasmids is facilitated by the tripartite ParA-ParB-parS system. This system consists of a centromeric parS DNA site and interacting proteins ParA and ParB that are capable of hydrolyzing adenosine triphosphate and cytidine triphosphate (CTP), respectively. ParB first binds to parS before associating with adjacent DNA regions to spread outward from parS. These ParB-DNA complexes bind to ParA and, through repetitive cycles of ParA-ParB binding and unbinding, move the DNA cargo to each daughter cell. The recent discovery that ParB binds and hydrolyzes CTP as it cycles on and off the bacterial chromosome has dramatically changed our understanding of the molecular mechanism used by the ParABS system. Beyond bacterial chromosome segregation, CTP-dependent molecular switches are likely to be more widespread in biology than previously appreciated and represent an opportunity for new and unexpected avenues for future research and application.
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37
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Ji J, Wang W, Chen C. Single-molecule techniques to visualize and to characterize liquid-liquid phase separation and phase transition. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2023; 55:1023-1033. [PMID: 36876423 PMCID: PMC10415186 DOI: 10.3724/abbs.2023028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomolecules forming membraneless structures via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is a common event in living cells. Some liquid-like condensates can convert into solid-like aggregations, and such a phase transition process is related to some neurodegenerative diseases. Liquid-like condensates and solid-like aggregations usually exhibit distinctive fluidity and are commonly distinguished via their morphology and dynamic properties identified through ensemble methods. Emerging single-molecule techniques are a group of highly sensitive techniques, which can offer further mechanistic insights into LLPS and phase transition at the molecular level. Here, we summarize the working principles of several commonly used single-molecule techniques and demonstrate their unique power in manipulating LLPS, examining mechanical properties at the nanoscale, and monitoring dynamic and thermodynamic properties at the molecular level. Thus, single-molecule techniques are unique tools to characterize LLPS and liquid-to-solid phase transition under close-to-physiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyao Ji
- School of Life SciencesBeijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural BiologyBeijing Frontier Research Center of Biological StructureTsinghua UniversityBeijing100084China
| | - Wenjuan Wang
- School of Life SciencesTechnology Center for Protein SciencesTsinghua UniversityBeijing100084China
| | - Chunlai Chen
- School of Life SciencesBeijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural BiologyBeijing Frontier Research Center of Biological StructureTsinghua UniversityBeijing100084China
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38
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Boeynaems S, Chong S, Gsponer J, Holt L, Milovanovic D, Mitrea DM, Mueller-Cajar O, Portz B, Reilly JF, Reinkemeier CD, Sabari BR, Sanulli S, Shorter J, Sontag E, Strader L, Stachowiak J, Weber SC, White M, Zhang H, Zweckstetter M, Elbaum-Garfinkle S, Kriwacki R. Phase Separation in Biology and Disease; Current Perspectives and Open Questions. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:167971. [PMID: 36690068 PMCID: PMC9970028 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.167971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
In the past almost 15 years, we witnessed the birth of a new scientific field focused on the existence, formation, biological functions, and disease associations of membraneless bodies in cells, now referred to as biomolecular condensates. Pioneering studies from several laboratories [reviewed in1-3] supported a model wherein biomolecular condensates associated with diverse biological processes form through the process of phase separation. These and other findings that followed have revolutionized our understanding of how biomolecules are organized in space and time within cells to perform myriad biological functions, including cell fate determination, signal transduction, endocytosis, regulation of gene expression and protein translation, and regulation of RNA metabolism. Further, condensates formed through aberrant phase transitions have been associated with numerous human diseases, prominently including neurodegeneration and cancer. While in some cases, rigorous evidence supports links between formation of biomolecular condensates through phase separation and biological functions, in many others such links are less robustly supported, which has led to rightful scrutiny of the generality of the roles of phase separation in biology and disease.4-7 During a week-long workshop in March 2022 at the Telluride Science Research Center (TSRC) in Telluride, Colorado, ∼25 scientists addressed key questions surrounding the biomolecular condensates field. Herein, we present insights gained through these discussions, addressing topics including, roles of condensates in diverse biological processes and systems, and normal and disease cell states, their applications to synthetic biology, and the potential for therapeutically targeting biomolecular condensates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Boeynaems
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Therapeutic Innovation Center (THINC), Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases (CAND), Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center (DLDCCC), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA and Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shasha Chong
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - Jörg Gsponer
- Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Liam Holt
- New York University School of Medicine, Institute for Systems Genetics, New York, NY 10016
| | - Drago Milovanovic
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Oliver Mueller-Cajar
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551
| | | | | | | | - Benjamin R. Sabari
- Laboratory of Nuclear Organization, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Serena Sanulli
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304
| | - James Shorter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Emily Sontag
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Lucia Strader
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - Jeanne Stachowiak
- University of Texas at Austin, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Austin, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Huaiying Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mellon College of Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Department of NMR-based Structural Biology, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Shana Elbaum-Garfinkle
- Department of Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY and Structural Biology Initiative, Advanced Science Research Center, City University of New York, New York, NY
| | - Richard Kriwacki
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee and Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, Tennessee
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Stevens JA, Grünewald F, van Tilburg PAM, König M, Gilbert BR, Brier TA, Thornburg ZR, Luthey-Schulten Z, Marrink SJ. Molecular dynamics simulation of an entire cell. Front Chem 2023; 11:1106495. [PMID: 36742032 PMCID: PMC9889929 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2023.1106495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The ultimate microscope, directed at a cell, would reveal the dynamics of all the cell's components with atomic resolution. In contrast to their real-world counterparts, computational microscopes are currently on the brink of meeting this challenge. In this perspective, we show how an integrative approach can be employed to model an entire cell, the minimal cell, JCVI-syn3A, at full complexity. This step opens the way to interrogate the cell's spatio-temporal evolution with molecular dynamics simulations, an approach that can be extended to other cell types in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan A. Stevens
- Molecular Dynamics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Fabian Grünewald
- Molecular Dynamics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - P. A. Marco van Tilburg
- Molecular Dynamics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Melanie König
- Molecular Dynamics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Benjamin R. Gilbert
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Troy A. Brier
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Zane R. Thornburg
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Zaida Luthey-Schulten
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Siewert J. Marrink
- Molecular Dynamics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands,*Correspondence: Siewert J. Marrink,
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40
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Pandey G, Budhathoki A, Spille JH. Characterizing Properties of Biomolecular Condensates Below the Diffraction Limit In Vivo. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2563:425-445. [PMID: 36227487 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2663-4_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescence microscopy assays enable the investigation of endogenous biomolecular condensates directly in their cellular context. With appropriate experimental designs, these assays yield quantitative information on condensate material properties and inform on biophysical mechanisms of condensate formation. Single-molecule super-resolution and tracking experiments grant access to the smallest condensates and early condensation stages not resolved by conventional imaging approaches. Here, we discuss considerations for using single-molecule assays to extract quantitative information about biomolecular condensates directly in their cellular context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganesh Pandey
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Alisha Budhathoki
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jan-Hendrik Spille
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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41
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Song N, De Greve H, Wang Q, Hernalsteens JP, Li Z. Plasmid parB contributes to uropathogenic Escherichia coli colonization in vivo by acting on biofilm formation and global gene regulation. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:1053888. [PMID: 36589237 PMCID: PMC9800825 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1053888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The endogenous plasmid pUTI89 harbored by the uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strain UTI89 plays an important role in the acute stage of infection. The partitioning gene parB is important for stable inheritance of pUTI89. However, the function of partitioning genes located on the plasmid in pathogenesis of UPEC still needs to be further investigated. In the present study, we observed that disruption of the parB gene leads to a deficiency in biofilm formation in vitro. Moreover, in a mixed infection with the wild type strain and the parB mutant, in an ascending UTI mouse model, the mutant displayed a lower bacterial burden in the bladder and kidneys, not only at the acute infection stage but also extending to 72 hours post infection. However, in the single infection test, the reduced colonization ability of the parB mutant was only observed at six hpi in the bladder, but not in the kidneys. The colonization capacity in vivo of the parB-complemented strain was recovered. qRT-PCR assay suggested that ParB could be a global regulator, influencing the expression of genes located on both the endogenous plasmid and chromosome, while the gene parA or the operon parAB could not. Our study demonstrates that parB contributes to the virulence of UPEC by influencing biofilm formation and proposes that the parB gene of the endogenous plasmid could regulate gene expression globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningning Song
- School of Life Science and Technology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China,Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Henri De Greve
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium,Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Quanjun Wang
- SAFE Pharmaceutical Technology Co, Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Jean-Pierre Hernalsteens
- Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium,*Correspondence: Jean-Pierre Hernalsteens, , Zhaoli Li,
| | - Zhaoli Li
- Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium,SAFE Pharmaceutical Technology Co, Ltd., Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Jean-Pierre Hernalsteens, , Zhaoli Li,
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42
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Latham AP, Zhang B. Molecular Determinants for the Layering and Coarsening of Biological Condensates. AGGREGATE (HOBOKEN, N.J.) 2022; 3:e306. [PMID: 37065433 PMCID: PMC10101022 DOI: 10.1002/agt2.306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Many membraneless organelles, or biological condensates, form through phase separation, and play key roles in signal sensing and transcriptional regulation. While the functional importance of these condensates has inspired many studies to characterize their stability and spatial organization, the underlying principles that dictate these emergent properties are still being uncovered. In this review, we examine recent work on biological condensates, especially multicomponent systems. We focus on connecting molecular factors such as binding energy, valency, and stoichiometry with the interfacial tension, explaining the nontrivial interior organization in many condensates. We further discuss mechanisms that arrest condensate coalescence by lowering the surface tension or introducing kinetic barriers to stabilize the multidroplet state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P Latham
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139
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43
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Tan W, Cheng S, Li Y, Li XY, Lu N, Sun J, Tang G, Yang Y, Cai K, Li X, Ou X, Gao X, Zhao GP, Childers WS, Zhao W. Phase separation modulates the assembly and dynamics of a polarity-related scaffold-signaling hub. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7181. [PMID: 36418326 PMCID: PMC9684454 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35000-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Asymmetric cell division (ACD) produces morphologically and behaviorally distinct cells and is the primary way to generate cell diversity. In the model bacterium Caulobacter crescentus, the polarization of distinct scaffold-signaling hubs at the swarmer and stalked cell poles constitutes the basis of ACD. However, mechanisms involved in the formation of these hubs remain elusive. Here, we show that a swarmer-cell-pole scaffold, PodJ, forms biomolecular condensates both in vitro and in living cells via phase separation. The coiled-coil 4-6 and the intrinsically disordered regions are the primary domains that contribute to biomolecular condensate generation and signaling protein recruitment in PodJ. Moreover, a negative regulation of PodJ phase separation by the stalked-cell-pole scaffold protein SpmX is revealed. SpmX impedes PodJ cell-pole accumulation and affects its recruitment ability. Together, by modulating the assembly and dynamics of scaffold-signaling hubs, phase separation may serve as a general biophysical mechanism that underlies the regulation of ACD in bacteria and other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Tan
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Sihua Cheng
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Yingying Li
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Xiao-Yang Li
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China ,grid.256922.80000 0000 9139 560XDepartment of Pharmacy, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004 China
| | - Ning Lu
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Jingxian Sun
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Guiyue Tang
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Yujiao Yang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Kezhu Cai
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China ,grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Xuefei Li
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Xijun Ou
- grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Xiang Gao
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Guo-Ping Zhao
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443State Key Lab of Genetic Engineering & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Microbial Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 China
| | - W. Seth Childers
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA
| | - Wei Zhao
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
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44
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Paccione G, Robles-Ramos MÁ, Alfonso C, Sobrinos-Sanguino M, Margolin W, Zorrilla S, Monterroso B, Rivas G. Lipid Surfaces and Glutamate Anions Enhance Formation of Dynamic Biomolecular Condensates Containing Bacterial Cell Division Protein FtsZ and Its DNA-Bound Regulator SlmA. Biochemistry 2022; 61:2482-2489. [PMID: 36315857 PMCID: PMC9670838 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Dynamic biomolecular condensates formed by liquid-liquid phase separation can regulate the spatial and temporal organization of proteins, thus modulating their functional activity in cells. Previous studies showed that the cell division protein FtsZ from Escherichia coli formed dynamic phase-separated condensates with nucleoprotein complexes containing the FtsZ spatial regulator SlmA under crowding conditions, with potential implications for condensate-mediated spatiotemporal control of FtsZ activity in cell division. In the present study, we assessed formation of these condensates in the presence of lipid surfaces and glutamate ions to better approximate the E. coli intracellular environment. We found that potassium glutamate substantially promoted the formation of FtsZ-containing condensates when compared to potassium chloride in crowded solutions. These condensates accumulated on supported lipid bilayers and eventually fused, resulting in a time-dependent increase in the droplet size. Moreover, the accumulated condensates were dynamic, capturing protein from the external phase. FtsZ partitioned into the condensates at the lipid surface only in its guanosine diphosphate (GDP) form, regardless of whether it came from FtsZ polymer disassembly upon guanosine triphosphate (GTP) exhaustion. These results provide insights into the behavior of these GTP-responsive condensates in minimal membrane systems, which suggest how these membraneless assemblies may tune critical bacterial division events during the cell cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianfranco Paccione
- Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Á. Robles-Ramos
- Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Alfonso
- Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Sobrinos-Sanguino
- Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - William Margolin
- Department
of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Silvia Zorrilla
- Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain,E-mail:
| | - Begoña Monterroso
- Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain,E-mail:
| | - Germán Rivas
- Centro
de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain,E-mail:
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Ren J, Zhang Z, Zong Z, Zhang L, Zhou F. Emerging Implications of Phase Separation in Cancer. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2202855. [PMID: 36117111 PMCID: PMC9631093 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202202855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
In eukaryotic cells, biological activities are executed in distinct cellular compartments or organelles. Canonical organelles with membrane-bound structures are well understood. Cells also inherently contain versatile membrane-less organelles (MLOs) that feature liquid or gel-like bodies. A biophysical process termed liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) elucidates how MLOs form through dynamic biomolecule assembly. LLPS-related molecules often have multivalency, which is essential for low-affinity inter- or intra-molecule interactions to trigger phase separation. Accumulating evidence shows that LLPS concentrates and organizes desired molecules or segregates unneeded molecules in cells. Thus, MLOs have tunable functional specificity in response to environmental stimuli and metabolic processes. Aberrant LLPS is widely associated with several hallmarks of cancer, including sustained proliferative signaling, growth suppressor evasion, cell death resistance, telomere maintenance, DNA damage repair, etc. Insights into the molecular mechanisms of LLPS provide new insights into cancer therapeutics. Here, the current understanding of the emerging concepts of LLPS and its involvement in cancer are comprehensively reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Ren
- School of MedicineZhejiang University City CollegeHangzhou215123China
- The Eighth Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityShenzhen518033China
| | - Zhenyu Zhang
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouHenan450003China
| | - Zhi Zong
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling NetworkLife Sciences InstituteZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Long Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling NetworkLife Sciences InstituteZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
- International Biomed‐X Research Center, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of MedicineZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhou215123China
| | - Fangfang Zhou
- School of MedicineZhejiang University City CollegeHangzhou215123China
- Institutes of Biology and Medical SciencesSoochow UniversitySuzhou215123China
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46
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Babl L, Merino-Salomón A, Kanwa N, Schwille P. Membrane mediated phase separation of the bacterial nucleoid occlusion protein Noc. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17949. [PMID: 36289351 PMCID: PMC9606368 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22680-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation is a fundamental biophysical process to organize eukaryotic and prokaryotic cytosols. While many biomolecular condensates are formed in the vicinity of, or even on lipid membranes, little is known about the interaction of protein condensates and lipid bilayers. In this study, we characterize the recently unknown phase behavior of the bacterial nucleoid occlusion protein Noc. We find that, similarly to other ParB-like proteins, CTP binding tightly regulates Noc's propensity to phase separate. As CTP-binding and hydrolysis also allows Noc to bind and spread on membranes, we furthermore establish Noc condensates as model system to investigate how lipid membranes can influence protein condensation and vice versa. Last, we show that Noc condensates can recruit FtsZ to the membrane, while this does not happen in the non-phase separated state. These findings suggest a new model of Noc mediated nucleoid occlusion, with membrane-mediated liquid-liquid phase separation as underlying principle of complex formation and regulation thereof.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon Babl
- grid.418615.f0000 0004 0491 845XMax Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Adrián Merino-Salomón
- grid.418615.f0000 0004 0491 845XMax Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Nishu Kanwa
- grid.418615.f0000 0004 0491 845XMax Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- grid.418615.f0000 0004 0491 845XMax Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Planegg, Germany
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47
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Bock FP, Liu HW, Anchimiuk A, Diebold-Durand ML, Gruber S. A joint-ParB interface promotes Smc DNA recruitment. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111273. [PMID: 36044845 PMCID: PMC9449133 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosomes readily unlink and segregate to daughter cells during cell division, highlighting a remarkable ability of cells to organize long DNA molecules. SMC complexes promote DNA organization by loop extrusion. In most bacteria, chromosome folding initiates at dedicated start sites marked by the ParB/parS partition complexes. Whether SMC complexes recognize a specific DNA structure in the partition complex or a protein component is unclear. By replacing genes in Bacillus subtilis with orthologous sequences from Streptococcus pneumoniae, we show that the three subunits of the bacterial Smc complex together with the ParB protein form a functional module that can organize and segregate foreign chromosomes. Using chimeric proteins and chemical cross-linking, we find that ParB directly binds the Smc subunit. We map an interface to the Smc joint and the ParB CTP-binding domain. Structure prediction indicates how the ParB clamp presents DNA to the Smc complex, presumably to initiate DNA loop extrusion. The bacterial DNA-binding protein ParB interacts with the condensin-like Smc-ScpAB Genetic mapping and structure predictions reveal an Smc joint-ParB binding interface Mutating the binding interface hampers Smc recruitment but not other ParB functions ParB and Smc-ScpAB form a transplantable unit for chromosome segregation in bacteria
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian P Bock
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology (DMF), Faculty of Biology and Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hon Wing Liu
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology (DMF), Faculty of Biology and Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anna Anchimiuk
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology (DMF), Faculty of Biology and Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marie-Laure Diebold-Durand
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology (DMF), Faculty of Biology and Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Gruber
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology (DMF), Faculty of Biology and Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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48
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Peng Q, Tan S, Xia L, Wu N, Oyang L, Tang Y, Su M, Luo X, Wang Y, Sheng X, Zhou Y, Liao Q. Phase separation in Cancer: From the Impacts and Mechanisms to Treatment potentials. Int J Biol Sci 2022; 18:5103-5122. [PMID: 35982902 PMCID: PMC9379413 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.75410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a public health problem of great concern, and it is also one of the main causes of death in the world. Cancer is a disease characterized by dysregulation of diverse cellular processes, including avoiding growth inhibitory factors, avoiding immune damage and promoting metastasis, etc. However, the precise mechanism of tumorigenesis and tumor progression still needs to be further elucidated. Formations of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) condensates are a common strategy for cells to achieve diverse functions, such as chromatin organization, signal transduction, DNA repair and transcriptional regulation, etc. The biomolecular aggregates formed by LLPS are mainly driven by multivalent weak interactions mediated by intrinsic disordered regions (IDRs) in proteins. In recent years, aberrant phase separations and transition have been reported to be related to the process of various diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Herein, we discussed recent findings that phase separation regulates tumor-related signaling pathways and thus contributes to tumor progression. We also reviewed some tumor virus-associated proteins to regulate the development of virus-associated tumors via phase separation. Finally, we discussed some possible strategies for treating tumors by targeting phase separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiu Peng
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Shiming Tan
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Longzheng Xia
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Nayiyuan Wu
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Linda Oyang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Yanyan Tang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Min Su
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Xia Luo
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaowu Sheng
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Yujuan Zhou
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, 283 Tongzipo Road, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Qianjin Liao
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, 283 Tongzipo Road, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China
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49
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Śmigiel WM, Mantovanelli L, Linnik DS, Punter M, Silberberg J, Xiang L, Xu K, Poolman B. Protein diffusion in Escherichia coli cytoplasm scales with the mass of the complexes and is location dependent. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo5387. [PMID: 35960807 PMCID: PMC9374337 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo5387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
We analyze the structure of the cytoplasm by performing single-molecule displacement mapping on a diverse set of native cytoplasmic proteins in exponentially growing Escherichia coli. We evaluate the method for application in small compartments and find that confining effects of the cell membrane affect the diffusion maps. Our analysis reveals that protein diffusion at the poles is consistently slower than in the center of the cell, i.e., to an extent greater than the confining effect of the cell membrane. We also show that the diffusion coefficient scales with the mass of the used probes, taking into account the oligomeric state of the proteins, while parameters such as native protein abundance or the number of protein-protein interactions do not correlate with the mobility of the proteins. We argue that our data paint the prokaryotic cytoplasm as a compartment with subdomains in which the diffusion of macromolecules changes with the perceived viscosity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech M. Śmigiel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Luca Mantovanelli
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Dmitrii S. Linnik
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Michiel Punter
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Jakob Silberberg
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Limin Xiang
- Department of Chemistry, UC Berkeley, Stanley Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ke Xu
- Department of Chemistry, UC Berkeley, Stanley Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Bert Poolman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, Netherlands
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50
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Guo L, Zhao Y, Zhang Q, Feng Y, Bi L, Zhang X, Wang T, Liu C, Ma H, Sun B. Stochastically multimerized ParB orchestrates DNA assembly as unveiled by single-molecule analysis. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:9294-9305. [PMID: 35904809 PMCID: PMC9458438 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The tripartite ParABS system mediates chromosome segregation in a wide range of bacteria. Dimeric ParB was proposed to nucleate on parS sites and spread to neighboring DNA. However, how properly distributed ParB dimers further compact chromosomal DNA into a higher-order nucleoprotein complex for partitioning remains poorly understood. Here, using a single-molecule approach, we show that tens of Bacillus subtilis ParB (Spo0J) proteins can stochastically multimerize on and stably bind to nonspecific DNA. The introduction of CTP promotes the formation and diffusion of the multimeric ParB along DNA, offering an opportunity for ParB proteins to further forgather and cluster. Intriguingly, ParB multimers can recognize parS motifs and are more inclined to remain immobile on them. Importantly, the ParB multimer features distinct capabilities of not only bridging two independent DNA molecules but also mediating their transportation, both of which are enhanced by the presence of either CTP or parS in the DNA. These findings shed new light on ParB dynamics in self-multimerization and DNA organization and help to better comprehend the assembly of the ParB-DNA partition complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Guo
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yilin Zhao
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules and National Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Ying Feng
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China.,School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Lulu Bi
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xia Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Teng Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Hanhui Ma
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Bo Sun
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
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